Apple Delays iTunes 11 Until Late November

Apple’s newest version of iTunes 11 won’t make its target October release date and will now come out “before the end of November” according to All Things D.

The delay announcement comes from Apple Spokesman Tom Neumayr who said “The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right. We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler and cleaner interface, and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November.”

Apple announced iTunes 11 in September along with the iPhone 5, iPod touch, and iPod nano. The new version comes with an improved layout and more iCloud integration. iTunes 11 will also have improved performance, as the poor performance of the current iteration of the software is a common complaint among both Mac and PC users.

The new iTunes 11 also makes it easier to create playlists, and includes a new feature that lets users choose what song will come up next in any situation. It also introduces a new album artwork view for music libraries that displays artwork like the iPad Music app, and expands the albums to show songs and more info about the album or artist.

Many expected Apple to release iTunes 11 at its iPad Mini event last week, or at least talk about the software during the event. Apple did neither, which left many wondering where the new app was. Now those users will have to wait an extra month to get the vastly improved music player.

Recent rumors said Apple is currently working on a new Internet radio solution for early 2013, and that it will likely reach agreements with record labels in mid-November. Apple gave no hint of such a feature when it announced iTunes 11. The initial release of iTunes 11 likely won’t include the feature, but Apple might start to lay the groundwork for such a feature in the new app next month.